With an election call widely expected to come Wednesday in Quebec City, the Charest Liberals' two main challengers trotted out new candidates today.

The CAQ introduced two star candidates today.

The best-known of them is the head of the Quebec federation of medical specialists, Dr. Gaetan Barrette, who's being touted as the party's health-care candidate.

Dr. Barette will run in the north-shore riding of Terrebonne, and he's promising a family doctor for everyone.

He says the Liberals have not delivered on their promises to fix health care, saying wait times persist, and many Quebecers still don't have access to a family physician.

Also, Claire Samson, president of Quebec's film and TV producers association, will run for the CAQ in the south-shore riding of Iberville.

Union spokesperson to run against Khadir for PQ

Meanwhile, the PQ also announced two of their candidates Tuesday.

One is Jean Poirier, the former spokesperson for the Aveos employees' union, who'll try to win the riding of Mercier back from Quebec Solidaire's Amir Khadir.

The other is journalist and broadcaster Sophie Stanké, who'll run against seniors minister Marguerite Blais in the south-west Montreal riding of Saint-Henri-Sainte-Anne.

And as for Premier Jean Charest, he will be officially announcing his candidacy in his home riding of Sherbrooke Tuesday night.

He's due back in Quebec City Wednesday morning. He has a cabinet meeting scheduled for 10 a.m, and then, he'll visit with the province's lieutenant-governor.

That usually makes an election call official.

Photo: via the Gazette